1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to doors handles and to latch assemblies for securing doors and the like in a closed position, and more specifically, the present invention is directed to latch actuating door handles of the panic handle type.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Panic handles are generally operable to secure doors and the like in a latched position and provide unlatching by actuation of the door handle. A primary benefit of panic handles are that they provide unlatching of the door in a quick and simple manner, and for this reason, panic handles are often utilized in applications which require ready exit from a building in case of an emergency. Some examples of panic handles are illustrated in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,399 issued Jan. 23, 1990; U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,480 issued Dec. 8, 1987; U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,922 issued Mar. 26, 1985; U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,949 issued Dec. 6, 1983; U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,620 issued May 10, 1983 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,974 issued Jan. 4, 1983, all assigned to Blumcraft of Pittsburgh, the assignee of the present invention, the complete disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein. These above-referenced patents disclose panic handles comprising a bar carried by a door and having an internal latch mechanism that is activated to unlatch the door when the bar is moved from a position away from the door to a position close to the door. An advantage of these types of prior art devices is that the latch mechanism is located within the bar, which allows for use in broader applications since minimal panel preparation is required, such as with glass panels, and it also yields a more aesthetic overall appearance. Another advantage of such prior art devices is that the bar can be mounted spaced from the door, which makes the bar easier to grasp facilitating its ease of use and which also can be a particular benefit in emergency situations. The spaced mounting of the bar also works to contribute to the overall appearance of the panic handle. Still another advantage is that the bar can be provided in a number of different configurations, such as xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped and straight, which further contributes to the versatility of such devices.
Other types of panic devices are known in the art that lack the properties noted with respect to the above-referenced patents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,897,092 to Atkins discloses one type of panic handle comprising a latch mechanism mounted on the door and a separate bar pivotally mounted in order to operate the latch mechanism. Another type of panic handle is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,590 to Folger which comprises a latch assembly mounted on the door and a separate bar that is moved in inward and outward directions relative to the door for operating the latch assembly. Such types of devices have the additional deficiency that numerous different components are utilized, which results in a larger overall construction. In addition, the relative movement of the numerous different components in operation leave such devices susceptible to damage, which can result in complete failure of these types of panic handles.
The present invention is directed to another panic handle that has been developed in view of the prior art panic handles noted above.
The present invention is directed to a handle assembly for a panic handle and with the handle assembly including a handle movable in a direction substantially perpendicular the surface of the door between an outward position spaced from the door and an inward position closer to the door, and with the handle including an opening therein and means substantially within the opening of the handle for translating the handle between the extended and retracted positions.